Politicians don’t like the “gig economy.” They don’t like it because they don’t get their share of the pie, which is why so many jurisdictions are looking to rein in the industry, citing the need for oversight to protect consumers.
Uh huh.
The latest big government, liberal politician to attack the gig economy is Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who warned of a dark side of the Internet businesses like Uber, Lyft and others.
Speaking at the New America think tank in Washington, Warren said that those who pick up gigs online do not receive benefits that conventional employees receive, such as retirement plans, paid vacation and the ability to unionize. She believes gig workers face the same struggles as part-time workers, contract workers and independent contractors.
“In a healthy economy, disruption is inevitable. But disruption means it’s time to adapt to changing circumstances,” Warren said. “Most workers aren’t asking for the moon. They want to be able to take care of their families, buy a home, send their kids to college, and save a little money for retirement.”
Though she commended the likes of Uber and Lyft for disrupting the marketplace, Warren condemned these companies for maintaining a business model dependent on “extremely low wages for drivers.”
“The much-touted virtues of flexibility, independence, and creativity offered by gig work might be true for some workers under some conditions, but for many, the gig economy is simply the next step in a losing effort to build some economic security in a world where all the benefits are floating to the top 10 percent,” Warren said.
In the end, Warren averred that the federal government needs to guarantee that every single American workers pays into Social Security, receives employee benefits and is given paid leave.
Although Warren denies she wants to pull the plug on these Internet firms, this is likely just the beginning for Warren and her ilk.
Photo by Tim Pierce via Flickr.
Yes, Warren, and her ilk, the Professional Political Class always deem it nesacary to control the People, the way they work, and the way they live.
Free enterprise has no place in their vision of that controlling “utopia”.
They can’t get “their share of the pie” out of the Peoples pockets.
What outrageous propaganda, this whole site is a lie.
Warren is exactly correct; only a shill for the one percent, or a fool, would think otherwise.